“For more than two decades, writer-director Guillermo del Toro has mapped out a territory in the popular imagination that is uniquely his own. From his first feature-length film, the modern classic Cronos, to his best-selling novels, to his latest movie Pacific Rim, del Toro has proven himself to be a one-of-a-kind creative visionary able to bring his singular sensibility equally to Hollywood blockbusters such as Hellboy and to more personal projects such as the Oscar–winning Pan’s Labyrinth. Now comes a gift and gorgeous keepsake for his legions of fans: GUILLERMO DEL TORO CABINET OF CURIOSITIES: My Notebooks, Collections, and Other Obsessions (Harper Design; On Sale October 29, 2013: $60.00, 256 pages; ISBN: 978-0-06-208284-8), a lavishly illustrated book that is an intimate look into one of the most imaginative minds of this century. GUILLERMO DEL TORO CABINET OF CURIOSITIES—written with New York Times best-selling author and filmmaker Marc Scott Zicree—contains notes, drawings, and untold creatures from Guillermo del Toro’s private journals and filmmaking diaries, with never-before-seen characters, art, and ideas of things to come. The book is a captivating, intimate glimpse into the life and mind of one of the world’s most creative visionaries.

I’m not quite certain whether PACIFICRIM falls under horror or sci-fi…perhaps both. When you have giant space creatures tearing apart the world, that tends to be a rather frightening thing. Guillermo Del Toro has created just that with a somewhat live action Neon Genesis Evangelion, an anime series that follows a similar narrative course. In fact, I’m surprised I haven’t heard mention of any lawsuits. But, while I would’ve preferred his dream project: H.P. Lovecraft’s AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS, I do have to say this looks pretty damn cool. Perhaps, if PACIFIC RIM is a blockbuster hit (and why wouldn’t it be? If that hack Michael Bay can make bazillions with horrible giant robot/alien films, why can’t a directorial genius like Del Toro pull it off with PACIFIC RIM?), Del Toro may be able to secure the finances he’s needed in order to make his epic vision of Lovecraft’s fantastic novella (if you haven’t read it, DO IT NOW!).

SYNOPSIS:

In the film, legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, start rising from the sea and begin a war that would takes millions of lives and consumes humanity’s resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes-a washed up former pilot (Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Kikuchi)-who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse.

PACIFIC RIM stars Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Idris Elba, Ron Perlman, and Charlie Day and is set to be released in 2D and 3D on July 12, 2013.